"Hey, mum, you know what? A grade eight boy in my school got caught stealing candy from the 7-11!!" Bekah has come home from school with Big News. The 7-11 is a convenience store about three blocks from her JK - 8 school. Convenient for many things--including shop-lifting, it seems.
"Oh, yes? How did he get caught?"
Mirrors. He didn't take the security mirrors into account when he raided the penny candy bins. The school has given him a one-month detention, meaning he can't leave the school grounds for one month, and he's not allowed into the 7-11 for the rest of the year.
That seems appropriate, I say.
"Yeah, mom, but you know what his parents did?" Bekah's voice rises in incredulity. "His mother said 'She wasn't angry, she was just very disappointed.' "
Now, I happen to think this kind of parental input for this kind of offense is pitiful. A child needs to know a parent will stand up for right and wrong: stealing is not a gray area. But I ask the open-ended question of my daughter.
"So how did the boy respond to that? Was he ashamed to have disappointed his mother?" Because you never know. Maybe that's all that's required for this child.
"Nah. He thought she was an idiot. You know what, mum? The school gave him a better punishment than his parents did. I don't even think he got grounded."
"Well, just so's you know, if you ever stole anything, I'd be disappointed. I'd also be angry and disgusted. And you'd probably be grounded. Just so's you know." No harm in being proactive, but mostly I'm teasing, and Bekah knows it.
She rolls her eyes at me. "I know that, mom." And sticks out her tongue at me for good measure. "Like I'd ever steal anything!" Saucy little minx that she is. Destined for a life of delinquency, this girl.
"Oh, yes? How did he get caught?"
Mirrors. He didn't take the security mirrors into account when he raided the penny candy bins. The school has given him a one-month detention, meaning he can't leave the school grounds for one month, and he's not allowed into the 7-11 for the rest of the year.
That seems appropriate, I say.
"Yeah, mom, but you know what his parents did?" Bekah's voice rises in incredulity. "His mother said 'She wasn't angry, she was just very disappointed.' "
Now, I happen to think this kind of parental input for this kind of offense is pitiful. A child needs to know a parent will stand up for right and wrong: stealing is not a gray area. But I ask the open-ended question of my daughter.
"So how did the boy respond to that? Was he ashamed to have disappointed his mother?" Because you never know. Maybe that's all that's required for this child.
"Nah. He thought she was an idiot. You know what, mum? The school gave him a better punishment than his parents did. I don't even think he got grounded."
"Well, just so's you know, if you ever stole anything, I'd be disappointed. I'd also be angry and disgusted. And you'd probably be grounded. Just so's you know." No harm in being proactive, but mostly I'm teasing, and Bekah knows it.
She rolls her eyes at me. "I know that, mom." And sticks out her tongue at me for good measure. "Like I'd ever steal anything!" Saucy little minx that she is. Destined for a life of delinquency, this girl.
posted by irreverentmama at
3:46 p.m.
1 Comments:
Geez, what are so many parents friggin' IDIOTS these days?
Disappointed my @ss. When I pulled that stealing candy crap as a kid, not only did I get the belt, but my father took me back to the drugstore where I stole the candy...and he made me apologize to the manager and pay him back. Ugh. Awful.
By
Karl, at 10:38 p.m.
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